Betty MacDonald Fan Club. Join fans of the beloved writer Betty MacDonald (1907-58). The original Betty MacDonald Fan Club and literary Society. Welcome to Betty MacDonald Fan Club and Betty MacDonald Society - the official Betty MacDonald Fan Club Website with members in 40 countries.
Betty MacDonald, the author of The Egg and I and the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle Series is beloved all over the world. Don't miss Wolfgang Hampel's Betty MacDonald biography and his very witty interviews on CD and DVD!

Vashon Island Bike Tree: The True Story

I've posted previously about the bicycle embedded in a tree on Vashon Island.
Yes, it exists. No, it's not photoshopped. Recently I've been getting a
zillion hits on the old posts on the blog because people keep posting
the picture on Facebook with some bogus story about a boy leaving his
bike in the woods and going off to fight and die in World War One, never
to return. I leave it as an exercise for the reader to see all the holes in that story.

Satirical TV song about Erdogan sparks Turkey-Germany row

Ankara
(AFP) - A song lampooning Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that
was broadcast on a German public television satirical show has sparked a
diplomatic spat between Berlin and Ankara, sources on both sides
confirmed Tuesday.

The
song is set to the tune of German pop star Nena's 1984 love song
"Irgendwie, Irgendwo, Irgendwann" (Anyhow, Anywhere, Anytime) and was
screened on regional broadcaster NDR's "extra 3" show on March 17.

The
German-language lyrics charge, among other things, that "a journalist
who writes something that Erdogan doesn't like/ Is tomorrow already in
jail".

Speaking
on condition of anonymity, a Turkish diplomatic source told AFP: "We
summoned the ambassador last week to communicate our protest about the
broadcast that we condemned.

"We demanded that the broadcast be removed from the air."

A
German diplomatic source confirmed Tuesday that Ambassador Martin
Erdmann had held repeated talks with the Turkish foreign ministry over
the song.

"In
these talks he made clear that the rule of law, judicial independence
and the protection of fundamental freedoms, including of the press and
of expression, are valuable assets that should be jointly protected,"
said the German source.

Erdmann
had stressed that "in Germany, political satire is covered by the
freedom of the press and of expression and the government has neither
the need for, nor the option of, taking action."

- Freedom of speech -

Erdogan's
government has been accused by critics of authoritarianism and muzzling
critical media as well as lawmakers, academics, lawyers and NGOs.

Alluding
to the government's military crackdown against the banned Kurdistan
Workers' Party (PKK), the song charges about Erdogan: "He hates the
Kurds like the plague /And prefers to bomb them rather than the
religious brothers from Islamic State."

The
government vehemently denies that the crackdown targets Turkey's
Kurdish minority, saying it is only aimed at wiping out "terrorists".

The
satirical show fired back at Ankara on Tuesday, publishing a framed
picture of Erdogan on its Twitter feed and declaring him its "Employee
of the Month".

The
editor-in-chief of NDR television, Andreas Cichowicz, said Turkey's
diplomatic protest was "not consistent with our understanding of freedom
of the press and freedom of speech".

EU
heavyweight Germany sees Turkey as the bloc's main partner in tackling a
wave of refugees landing at Europe's borders, with Chancellor Angela
Merkel appealing for Ankara's help on the issue.

But Merkel has also said Germany will stick to its values and keep insisting on civil and minority rights in Turkey.

German
news weekly Der Spiegel said this month it had to withdraw its Istanbul
correspondent and charged that Turkey was violating the freedom of the
press.

Several
diplomats from EU member states, including the German envoy, last week
attended the trial of two journalists facing espionage charges, drawing
the ire of Erdogan who accused the diplomats of overstepping their
powers.

Using
a hugely controversial legal article, almost 2,000 people have been
prosecuted for "insulting" Erdogan since the former premier became
president in August 2014.

Betty MacDonald Fan Club proudly presents:

The
amazing, very witty, charming, intelligent story written by our
brilliant Betty MacDonald Fan Club Honor Member - artist and writer
Letizia Mancino.

Betty,
I love you! Your books „Anybody can do anything“ and „Onions in the
Stew“ are really outstanding! I take them into my hand, and at a stone's
throw I am right away in America ! Columbus and the egg: The great
discovery!

Your bestseller „The Egg and I“ the greatest
discovery. And you and I! I know America: It's true what you are
writing: That's America: Absolutely right! No, even to the least detail!
The landscape and the passion: Do you know the country where pistols
blossom? Brava, Betty, you are describing the Americans vividly,
genuinely, insufferably, brushed upon paper. If I like to read your
works? To read doesn't even express it! I can even hear and see
everything: Nature, culture, subculture.

America has almost
remained unchanged! O those cool Americans! Calculating, stockmarket,
Wall Street, the financial crisis (even back in 1930), the gamblers, the
bankruptcy of companies! The swarming of dodgers and cheaters. People
left without money. Dispair und hunger! A terrible „Worst Case“ (when I
knew but little English I thought it is sausage with cheese).

Still
how impressive is the ability to adaptone self of the Americans: They
know how to enjoy life, acrobats of survival! In the twinkle of an eye
they achieved to adapt themselves and effect the work of pioneers: In
the morning you are a cleaningwoman, in the evening a brothel woman! No
problem!

„The insufficient, here it's becoming an event; The
indescribable, here it's done;“ Mary Bard Jensen, your sister, was the
treasure trove of procuring work: My word, what a power woman with
unlimited imagination! She has recommended you everywhere: Betty can do
everything, also write novels! Go ahead, sister, hurry up! The editor
wants to see your manuscripts! Up to that point you had not written a
single line! Wow! And if still everything goes wrong? No problem: When
you dream, dream big!

Just look, you have become famous.The Egg
and I You know that, Betty? I'll slip into „The Egg and I“ and come and
be your guest! I want to get to know your chickens. I hate chickens!
I'm a chickens slave from North America! O Betty, without these damned
animals, no chance of you becoming famous! „The Egg and I“ you would
never have written! How many readers you have made happy!

Your
book is so amusing! Your witty fine (almost nasty) remarks about your
family members and roundabout neighbours made me laugh so much! You have
been born into a special family: Comfort was not desired: I can't but
be amazed: What did your father say to your mother? After tomorrow I am
going to work elsewhere: Thousands of miles away...He sent her a
telegram: LEAVING FOR TWO YEARS ON THURSDAY FOR MEXICO CITY STOP GET
READY IF YOU WANT TO COME ALONG – That was on Monday. Mother wired back:
SHALL BE READY, and so she was.That's America! Improvisation, change,
adventure. You show no weakness: Let's go! Your descriptions, Betty,
about the tremendous happenings in nature have deeply frightened me.

Continent
America, I'm terrified by you! I feel so small and threatened like a
tiny fly before an enormous flyswatter! Your novel is very many-sided!
The reader may use it even as a cook book! „The Egg and I“ starts
straight away with a recipe: „Next to the wisdom that lamb meat doesn't
taste good unless it has been roasted with garlic“. Do you enjoy the
American food?

O Betty, it's too fatty for me and I hate garlic!
(Betty is presently cooking lunch for Bob. She's continually talking to
„STOVE“: STOVE is Bob's rival; in the beginning I thought it was being
himself). She turns round and says: Well, so no garlic for you. No lamb
either, Betty. I don't eat any meat! I'd actually prefer only fried
eggs. Betty, let me make them myself. Then you try it!

Blow!
„STOVE“ out of order! I don't succeed in turning it on! Damned! It's got
more of a mind of its own than „STOVE“ of my friend, Hilde Domin! Bob's
coming! He must eat directly! „Men eat anything, the swines! Says your
grandmother Gammy“. Is it true? Do you like my chickens? Bob asked me
without introducing himself. Yes, Bob (rude) I love them! I'm
vegetarian. Do you want to clean the henhouse with me tomorrow? A,
you're always getting up so early at four o'clock! Bob, that's not a job
for me! He looked at me disdainfully! A Roman cissy! You need a
reeducation at once! Help, Bob's attacking me! I rather change the novel
immediately and move to the „Island“!

Hans-Dietrich Genscher, German ex-foreign minister, dies

Former German foreign minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher has died at the age of 89, his office has announced.

He died on Thursday night at his home in the town of Wachtberg-Pech, near Bonn, of heart failure, a statement said.Mr
Genscher served as West German foreign minister and vice chancellor
from 1974 until reunification in 1990, continuing on in the role until
1992.He was also chairman of his liberal FDP party from 1974 to 1985.During
the Cold War, Mr Genscher's policy of detente towards the East and his
early recognition of then Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev's desire for
change is credited with paving the way for Germany's reunification.

He was also a strong advocate of European unity.Announcing
his retirement from Parliament in 1998, he said: "European unity is the
answer to the mistakes of the Germans and of European history. It is
the answer to a terrible world war. These reasons stand even today." Chancellor
Angela Merkel's deputy spokesman, Georg Streiter, paid tribute to Mr
Genscher, saying: "He was a statesman who influenced the fate of Germany
like few others. He was a great European and a great German."One
of Mr Genscher's most celebrated moments was in 1989 at the German
embassy in Prague where he addressed thousands of East Germans desperate
to head west.Announcing a deal with the Czech communist
government allowing them safe passage, he said: "We have come to you to
tell you that today your departure..."The rest of the sentence was drowned out by cheers.

About Me

Betty MacDonald Fan Club, founded by Wolfgang Hampel, has members in 40 countries.
Wolfgang Hampel, author of Betty MacDonald biography interviewed Betty MacDonald's family and friends. His Interviews have been published on CD and DVD by Betty MacDonald Fan Club. If you are interested in the Betty MacDonald Biography or the Betty MacDonald Interviews send us a mail, please.
Several original Interviews with Betty MacDonald are available.
We are also organizing international Betty MacDonald Fan Club Events for example, Betty MacDonald Fan Club Eurovision Song Contest Meetings in Oslo and Düsseldorf, Royal Wedding Betty MacDonald Fan Club Event in Stockholm and Betty MacDonald Fan Club Fifa Worldcup Conferences in South Africa and Germany.
Betty MacDonald Fan Club Honour Members are Monica Sone, author of Nisei Daughter and described as Kimi in Betty MacDonald's The Plague and I, Betty MacDonald's nephew, artist and writer Darsie Beck, Betty MacDonald fans and beloved authors and artists Gwen Grant, Letizia Mancino, Perry Woodfin, Traci Tyne Hilton, Tatjana Geßler, music producer Bernd Kunze, musician Thomas Bödigheimer, translater Mary Holmes and Mr. Tigerli.